Eclair de Luxe
by TheOrientExpress
Summary: Humanized Thomas and Friends fan fiction version of "Legends are Invincible" with a different approach and different content.
1. Chapter 1 - Insecurities

It was a rainy evening in a small town on a small island off the English coast. A young woman of about 23 years in a royal blue knee-long dress, black high heels and a broad golden waist belt sat in a bar, sipping on her Blue Constantinople occasionally and surveying the people coming and leaving. She was thinking about the last few days' events since she arrived; why were all the guys always thinking she would be easy prey? Was she sending explicit messages without even knowing? Back home in Austria, this never happened to her. She only went to the UK for her studies of railways, art and music.

Deep in thought, she didn't notice that someone was standing in front of her with a questioning look. She only sensed the presence of the other when that particular person put down a hand on the table and asked again, "Excuse me, but there aren't any free tables anymore. May I sit down with you?"

"I... uh... yes of course. I'm sorry, I was in thought," the young woman answered, a bit perplexed, but smiling.

As she looked at the person next to her for the first time, her mouth ran dry. He was about the age of 25 from her guesses, had jet black hair, wore red trousers with a black and golden stripe on the sides, a black dress shirt, a golden tie, a red jacket and black shoes. But what was the most stunning were his eyes; they were of a glowing golden shade, almost as golden as his tie. The female shifted uncomfortably in her seat and glanced at her glass as she noticed that she had been staring at him.

"Sorry to be so curious, but you don't seem to be from here because of your slight accent. Where are you from?" the man asked her, sitting down in the chair opposite of her.

"Oh, me? I'm from Austria. I'm only here to study art, music and railways for a year. A friend referred me to Sodor, she told me this was the best place to learn something about these things," she answered, smiling at her counterpart.

"That's actually quite interesting! How come a young and pretty lady as you are is interested in railways? ... Oh, sorry for my being so rude as not to introduce myself before asking all these things, my name's James," he said, grinning.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Sandy. And don't worry, hardly anyone ever asked why I'm here anyways..." she replied, sighing and blushing a bit.

The two talked for a while longer and got to know each other better. Sandy came to the conclusion that James was different from all the other boys and men she got to know before. He had that certain something about him that made her shiver every time he looked at her. And there was something else; she felt save, like she could tell him anything and not be judged. He didn't look at her the way everyone else usually did, he actually seemed to be paying attention to what she had to say and she grew to like him a small bit despite not knowing him for long. The two lost track of time completely, not noticing that the bar was already empty apart from them and the bar tender has exaggeratedly glanced at his pocket watch several times already. Only then, the blonde realized what time it actually was.

"Oh my, look what time it is! I have to go, there's too much I have to do tomorrow," Sandy exclaimed, looking at her wrist watch with a slightly shocked expression.

"Let me pay for your drink, can I accompany you home then?" James asked, all the gentleman.

"Well, I- thanks, but I don't really have a _home_. I live right across the street, in that small hotel. And, I hardly know you," Sandy replied, looking down to the ground before her, feeling ashamed that she didn't have a proper place to stay at and a bit worried about his offer for company.

After James had paid for their beverages, the two left the bar and it was raining heavily, typical British weather one might say. James pulled out a red umbrella from under his jacket, opened it up and held it over their heads. It took James some convincing to stop Sandy from running off right into the rain on her own as she was still sceptical. After a few minutes, they finally walked over to the house which Sandy had called a "hotel" before. James stopped dead, looking at the house and then back at Sandy wide eyed.

"This isn't a hotel, this is a cheap motel where prostitutes take their suitors! How the hell did you end up there?!" James asked her.

"I- I booked the ticket to England, the train to Sodor and the room back home via an agency, but how do you know this is a motel where... urm, well these things are happening?" Sandy was a bit confused.

"A friend's girlfriend was once here with one of her suitors. A very unkempt and fat guy was standing behind her and already tried to get between her legs right outside the door. My friend saw that and got between them as he had thought the man was trying to rape her. They fled the scene and the next day my friend paid her 'employer' to free her, to shorten a long story," he explained, "But let's go in and collect your things now, you can stay the night with me until we found something better for you."

"You really think this is such a good idea? I mean, I'm grateful for your offer, but I can only repeat: I hardly know you," Sandy answered doubtfully, slightly raising an eyebrow.

"Don't worry, you can sleep in my bedroom and lock the door if you don't feel save. I'll sleep on the couch in the living room which is downstairs in my house," he said, smiling a bit.

"Alright, thanks! I really appreciate that. But be aware I do know how to defend myself if needed," she answered, showing a bit more confidence.

So James and Sandy went into her room to collect her suitcase, which she didn't even unpack yet, and her bag with her laptop. As they left the room and Sandy locked the door from the outside, James sniggered slightly as he saw that the door bore the number five. Sandy noticed that and gave him a questioning look, but he only raised his shoulders and gestured with his head for them to leave this unwelcoming place. They went downstairs and Sandy walked over to the counter to give her key back. The scruffy man looked at her and then waved his hand for her to leave.

Sandy and James left the dirty motel and walked over to a red sports car. James pulled out the key and opened the car. Sandy only looked at him wide eyed; she hadn't been expecting him to have such an awesome car. They heaved her suitcase into the luggage compartment and then got into the car and James drove off. After some minutes of driving out into the countryside, James turned the car to the right and a few kilometres down the road, he stopped in front of a large house, partly hidden by high trees and a small pond at its side. Sandy couldn't stop staring; was this really happening to her? She couldn't quite believe her eyes; this was amazing and looked exactly like the house she always wanted to own one day.

"Wow! So, this is your house?" she asked, amazed that he stayed so relaxed; he was apparently used to people reacting this way when they saw his house.

"Yeah, my job pays off quite well so I could afford something like this. If you would've told me that I'd own such a house a few years ago, I'd probably have laughed at you," he answered, grinning.

"This was actually at the back of my mind for a while, what _is_ your job?" Sandy asked, prepared for an answer she wouldn't like.

"I work as steam locomotive driver and engineer here on the North Western Railway along with my best friends. I drive a red mixed-traffic engine, meaning..." he couldn't continue as Sandy already finished his sentence for him.

"...meaning your locomotive is suited for both passenger service and freight duties, right?" she said triumphantly and smiling at him brightly.

"Yes, that's right! How do you...?" James asked.

"You probably didn't pay attention then before when I told you I'm here for my studies about..." James interrupted her.

"...railways, music and art. I did listen to you, I'm just a bit perplexed that a young lady like you knows so much already," he said, "But now we should try to get out of the car and into the house, the rain has lightened a bit so we better hurry before it starts to become heavy again."

Sandy nodded in agreement and jumped out of the car, running to the back to get her suitcase and laptop bag out and then ran to the front door of the house, waiting for James to lock the car and unlock the front door. He nearly bumped into her when she turned around sharply to look where he was and both of them had to laugh with Sandy blushing slightly.

They looked deeply into each others' eyes for a few seconds before James turned his attention to the keys he was holding. They nearly fell to the ground as a sudden nervousness took over his body. ' _My, my- now I must look stupid to her. I don't even know her properly, yet she makes me nervous and all light headed when I'm too close to her_ ,' he thought.

Finally he managed to open the door and let Sandy step into the hall first. She had to close her mouth as it hung open at what she saw. This was even more beautiful than from the outside and she was about to stay a night in such a wonderful house. Every room was painted in a different colour, apart from the open living room with a huge glass window, which was painted in white with dark grey furniture. The kitchen, which was separated from the living room by a small wall with a big opening instead of a door, was held in a light aqua blue with white cupboards.

Sandy had taken off her shoes meanwhile and was now standing on a lovely mint green carpet at the end of the hallway. James came up beside her, carrying her suitcase, and gestured her to follow him so she picked up her laptop bag and handbag before following him up the stairs. He led her into a large bedroom, which was painted in a rosy red with white furniture. The curtains were red with a black and golden border as was the bed linen and there was a big photo of James and, apparently, his engine above the bed.

"Make yourself at home. You may stay as long as you like!" James told her, smiling, "I'll be sleeping downstairs if you need me and before I forget, the bathroom is just across the hall."

"Thank you so much, how can I ever make up for this?" Sandy asked, slightly ashamed that she didn't have any money to pay him for the shelter he provided for her.

"Don't you worry about that, you don't need to do anything. And tomorrow, I can show you around the North Western Railway since you're here for the railways and I got the rest of the week off due to my fireman being ill," James stated, happy that he had something to do at last instead of sitting at home all day long, "Good night!"

"Good night and James... thanks, again!" Sandy answered before James left, closing the door so she could prepare herself for the night.

Back downstairs, he quickly got a blanket and cushion out of the wardrobe in the living room and then undressed to go to sleep on the couch. After Sandy had put on her black night gown, she locked the door and then sank down onto the bed, sighing. Her thoughts were constantly trailing off to James; she couldn't get him out of her mind anymore. She then slowly laid down, pulled the blankets up and fell asleep quickly. That night, both James and Sandy couldn't get the other out of their heads.


	2. Chapter 2 - A Moment of Passion

The next morning, Sandy awoke to the smell of fresh bread and tea. She yawned and then got up; putting on a bath robe she found hanging on the inside of the bedroom door. Then she went downstairs, seeing James standing in the kitchen, only wearing a pair of red pyjama trousers, making some fried eggs while the tea was already standing on the table in the living room. Sandy walked up to him, not able to prevent a second yawn, so James finally noticed her standing there.

"Good morning! Did you sleep well?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder and smiling, before turning back to the eggs.

"Hm... morning. Yes, your bed is actually quite comfortable compared to the one in the hotel... erm, motel," Sandy answered, rubbing her eyes.

"Well then, please sit down at the table, I'll have breakfast ready shortly," he said.

Sandy went back into the living room, sitting down at the table and waiting for James to join her. She couldn't resist the smell of the fresh bread anymore though so she took one loaf and started to eat it. It tasted wonderful, better than anything she had eaten since she arrived on Sodor.

"Yes, that bread is really good. I can hardly resist the smell either," James chuckled lightly before walking around the table to give Sandy one of the fried eggs.

"Thanks. I'm not used to such a huge breakfast but I'm actually quite hungry since I didn't eat anything for dinner yesterday," she answered.

"You may help yourself, eat as much as you want, you'll need the energy, today's gonna be a long day," he said, sitting down across from Sandy.

At first they ate in silence, but then slowly started to discuss what they were to do that day. First, they would go to see if one of James' friends needed help on his branch line and then James would show Sandy the main line of the North Western Railway. At last, he would show her his locomotive and explain everything she needs to know about it. After being done with general railway information, they would visit the head of the railway to get James' working schedule for the next week and afterwards they'd go and fetch lunch.

At 10:00am, both were ready to leave the house. Sandy wore her blue dress, just with flat yet elegant black shoes this time, and James put on the clothes he wore the day before. They got into James' car and drove off. A few minutes later, they arrived at a small station called "Elsbridge". There they got out of the car and walked right to the platform when a small blue tank engine bearing the number one pulled into the station with his two orange coaches. The train stopped right in front of them and a boyish-looking man stepped out of the engine's cab. He wore blue overalls in the same colour as his engine and walked up to James and Sandy. He greeted James with a handclap and a smile.

"Hey there, James! What are you doing here, I thought you had the week off?" the man dressed in blue asked. "And who's that sweet lady with you?"

Sandy blushes at hearing that, slightly biting her bottom lip, trying to get a smile onto her face since she wasn't used to being called "sweet" or "beautiful".

"Hello, Thomas! Well, I thought I'd visit to see if you needed me to fetch anything while I'm on my way to Knapford. Oh and may I introduce Sandy? I met her yesterday, was booked into the motel where Henry found Emily those many years ago," James explained.

"Ah, nice to meet you, Sandy! You're lucky James found you, a young woman like you shouldn't stay at those unpleasant places," Thomas said with a slight bow.

"Thanks! Nice to meet you too, Thomas," Sandy answered, reaching to shake his hand.

"Say... where's Percy? Isn't he supposed to get slate trucks down from Ffarquhar?" James asked his friend, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, he's late today. Didn't hear his alarm clock go off in the morning," Thomas explained, sniggering to himself.

"That sounds so like Percy. Well, we have to go to Knapford now, I want to show Sandy the main line and my engine then. See you!" James answered before turning around and walking back to his car with Sandy and Thomas shouting a rushed "bye" after them as he jumped back into the engine cab.

They drove on down along the tracks of Thomas' branch line until they reached a large station which read "Knapford" on the big station building and had a golden lion on a column at the entrance. James helped Sandy out of the car and they linked arms. Then went up onto platform one where a large blue Pacific class was waiting with its coaches. James walked up to the cab and then gestured Sandy to follow him.

"James! I thought you wouldn't come here on your days off," a deep voice was audible from the inside of the cab and then, a tall and muscular man with dark blue jeans and grey shirt came out of it.

"Hi, Gordon. Well I was showing this young lady here the North Western Railway as railways are part of her studies. We already were at Elsbridge and met Thomas there. Gordon, meet Sandy," James said, making room so the two could shake hands.

"Very pleased to meet you, Sandy! How do you like Sodor so far?" Gordon asked her.

"I didn't like it much until I met James yesterday. Everything seemed so dark and unfriendly, but now my opinion is slowly changing for the better," Sandy answered, smiling.

He gave her a small nod before James asked him for the whereabouts of their friend Henry. He told his friend that Henry was on his way back from Brendam due to him having taken twice as many fish with the "Flying Kipper" that day than usually.

"Aha, okay. We're better off to Tidmouth then. I still have to show Sandy my locomotive," James told him, before waving good-bye and walking Sandy back to his car.

It only took them two minutes to drive to Tidmouth where they got out of James' car again and walked up to the sheds where there was one blue and one red mixed-traffic engine.

"So who's driving that blue one next to yours?" Sandy asked, waving her hand towards the 4-4-0.

As an answer, a slim elderly man with greying hair popped his head out of the cab and said, "My name is Edward, but I don't have much time to talk at the moment. I have to get to Wellsworth right away, orders from Sir Topham Hatt." And with that, he drove away, leaving a bit of smoke behind.

"Whoa, I've never Edward in such a hurry," James said in Sandy's direction. "Must be something important the Fat Controller has ordered him to do."

"And who's that person you two were talking of?" Sandy asked while she walked over to James' engine.

"The Fat Controller? He's the head of the North Western Railway, he organizes everything," James told her.

James then walked over to where Sandy was standing next to his engine. She was running her left hand lightly along the splashers and firebox before stepping up into the cab. An unexplainable shiver ran down James' spine as Sandy ran her hand along his locomotive. He then followed her into the cab to explain all the different buttons and leverages. Sandy was already surveying everything before James could even say a word, though after she gave him a questionning look, he started to explain everything he could think of; what was needed to get an engine to move either forward or backwards, how the breaks worked and the different types of whistle signals. Sandy listened closely as this was the stuff she always wanted to know from earliest childhood on.

While explaining all these things, he got a bit too close to Sandy, but she didn't seem to mind though she blushed every time they got in unintentional physical contact. Sandy turned around all of a sudden to face James, but stumbled over her own feet and fell right into his arms. He held her close so she didn't slip until she found her balance again. She didn't seem to mind though that James held her that close. Sandy looked up and right into his eyes, making her legs weak once more. His eyes were displaying a fire that she had never seen before in anyone else's eyes. She somehow felt attracted to James, so much her head was spinning, and it made her very nervous.

The two were gazing into each other's eyes for some time before James slowly lowered his head, stopping a hair's breadth before her mouth. Sandy could feel his breath upon her lips and parted them slightly. Her heartbeat had increased rapidly and her breath came slightly unregularly. She closed her eyes half way, looking at him through her lashes, slightly nodding her head. James then touched his lips to hers lightly, slowly kissing her. Sandy ran her hands up and through his hair, ruffling it slightly and pulling his head closer to her. A low moan escaped her throat as James ran his tongue along her lips and he took the chance to slowly push his tongue into her mouth. She circled her tongue around his and wrapped her left leg around his waist. It just came to them naturally even though they had just met the previous day and hardly knew each other.

James pressed Sandy back against the tender of his engine, kissing her passionately, groaning a bit into the kiss. His hands were roaming her body now though his touch was slightly shaking. With his left hand he pushed her dress up and ran his fingers along her thigh, making her shiver and goose bumps formed on her skin. Sandy then suddenly pushed him away, confused and dazed. She leaned her head back, resting it against the metal of the tender, trying to catch her breath.

"I- I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that…" James stuttered, quite ashamed of his actions, and trying to hide his "excitement" somehow.

Sandy blushed as she noticed that and looked away, out of the cab, making sure nobody has seen them, then she started talking with a shaking voice, "It's ok. In fact… it wasn't all that bad."

"I thinks it's best now we go to get my schedule for next week and then fetch lunch," James said.

The two then climbed out of the red engine's cab and went back to James' car. Sandy's legs were still a bit weak from the passionate kisses they had shared so she had to hold onto James while walking even though she only wore pumps. James opened the car door for her to sit down and then climbed into the driver's seat himself before starting the engine and driving off slowly towards Knapford again.

When they reached the big station, they both got out of the car and James led Sandy over to Sir Topham Hatt's office. As they entered, the controller was busy talking on his phone to one of the station masters so the two waited patiently. As soon as he had finished the call and had hung up, he stood up to greet Sandy with a slight bow and lifted his hat.

"Hello, young lady! Hello, James! I do have your schedule right here," the Fat Controller said and handed it over to James.

"Thank you, Sir!" James answered with a nod.

"Now tell me, who is your companion? Also what did you do that Henry is so confused? He stumbled into my office just moments ago, mightily distracted and babbling things that didn't make sense and he was blushing which I haven't seen him doing for years. He also mentioned hearing strange noises at Tidmouth sheds a few minutes ago," Sir Topham Hatt asked the two in front of him.

"Sir, her name is Sandy and she's here to study railways, music and art. I only showed her Elsbridge, Knapford and Tidmouth sheds so far. And, about those noises... Sir, I don't have any explanation for that. I'd need to talk to Henry to get more information in this case," James answered; blushing slightly due to the thought Henry might have heard or seen them before.

Sandy blushed too, avoiding James' and the Fat Controller's gazes. Sir Topham Hatt raised an eyebrow but didn't question their blushing. ' _Phew, I hope he doesn't ask James about that when he's here alone_ ,' Sandy thought to herself, gazing out of the office window to see Edward stepping out of his engine's cab and walking over.

"I think we should be going now, James. Didn't you say you know a nice little restaurant where we could pick up lunch?" Sandy started an attempt to get out of this uncomfortable situation.

"Yes, you're right. I'm actually quite hungry now that you've mentioned it. Good bye, Sir!" James said, taking Sandy's hand and pulling her out of the controller's office.

The two nearly crashed right into Edward if it wasn't for his fast reaction making room for them. He stared at them perplexed as they walked away quite fast as if to hide something. He then simply shrugged and went into Sir Topham Hatt's office.


	3. Chapter 3 - Confessions

Meanwhile, Sandy and James had reached the restaurant and ordered their lunch. They only had to wait about half an hour and drank something while they were waiting. As everything was ready, they hurriedly paid, then left and went straight to James' car and got in. The awkward silence that had formed between them was hanging in the air as thick as fog on a cold November evening as they drove along the road back to James' house. There, they got out of the car, entered the house and sat at the table in the living room, still not talking, but silently eyeing each other from time to time, blushing heavily each time they did and eating their lunch.

' _God, come on, say something. But what? I feel so stupid that I gave in to James so quickly... I hardly know him after all. But damn, those eyes!_ ' Sandy was lost in her own thoughts.

James then finally was the first to break the silence, "Sooo, I hope Henry didn't hear or see more than necessary back at Tidmouth, but I doubt that."

Sandy blushed again, looking down onto the near empty plate in front of her, fumbling with her hands under the table. She had a hard time to find any words at all at the moment.

"I- I'm sorry. Normally I'm not one to give in to men that fast, especially not after only knowing them for hardly a day," she stated nervously.

"I normally don't do that either," James answered, smiling a little and reaching across the table to softly touch Sandy's hand which she had placed beside her now empty plate.

Still lost in her own thoughts, she managed a small smile too, looking up and directly into his eyes. That look he gave her electrified her and sent a shiver down her spine. Her hand darted away from his and she jumped to her feet, nearly throwing the chair she had been sitting on over. Sandy quickly took her plate and cutlery to the kitchen and put everything into the dishwasher. Then she prepared herself a glass of water to get her thoughts clear again.

James had finished clearing the table meanwhile and stepped behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder which made her jump once more. She was too embarrassed to even move at the moment, James had to turn her around to face him. Sandy looked down to the ground and tried everything to avoid his gaze. He took her face in his hands to make her look at him. Sandy still kept her eyes locked on something else, but couldn't withstand for long, she simply had to look at him and as she did, she felt her passion coming to the surface again.

Shaking slightly, she then twisted out of his trapping gaze, slowly walking over to the window, looking towards the soft hills in the distance when she started talking again, "I want to be honest with you. Ever since I came here, my stay was nothing but a disaster. Every guy I met here was only seeing me as object of their lust. I went away from home because I wanted to escape all this, but at first it seemed nothing better here. Then I met you… You are different, in so many ways. You offered help when I thought nobody would. You are kind and you still are ready to help me despite me rejecting you beforehand. It's hard for me to build up trust, it has been shattered to many times in my life. And there's one thing I have to ask you before I think any further: Are you ready to put up with broken soul, a mistreated and abused human being? Because that's what I am. I never was appreciated, not even by my own family, and… I never learned how to act around males except for shutting myself in completely and running away from them due to an incident in my past that I would give a lot for to forget, but it burnt itself into my mind."

James could only stare at her, trying to blink away the tears that were welling up in his eyes. His normally vain nature faded within seconds at seeing her before him and hearing what she had to tell him. Never before had he experienced anyone literally breaking down in front of him like that. He tried to say something, but no words came across his lips. All he could do was walk up to Sandy and hug her tightly, trying to comfort her somehow. She buried her face in his chest, not being able to hold back the tears and the pain she had been keeping to herself. All the memories came back again, all the nightmares she went through as a child that she hoped to forget, but still couldn't.

They stood there for a while, neither of them knowing for how long, until Sandy calmed down again. The tears had left trails down her face and her make-up was ruined completely, but she couldn't care less for that right now. James slowly led her to the living room, offering her a seat on the couch. She sank down onto it, sighing heavily, not having had such an exhausting outburst for years. She was still shaking slightly and thankful for James being there, even though he didn't speak. He reached for a tissue and started to softly dab her tears away and removed the smeared bits of make-up on her cheeks before pulling her closer and hugging her, offering her all the comfort he could give her.

After about an hour, James finally found his voice again, "Wow… I never expected anything like that. I'm sorry to hear about your past and, you may not know me properly yet, I want to help you. In every way I can."

Sandy nodded and managed a small "Thank you". She then turned to face him again, her light blue eyes' gaze resting on his face, trying to read his mind. He smiled lightly, starting to pull her closer and into his embrace once more, never breaking eye contact.

"What is going on in that pretty head of yours?" he whispered softly.

Sandy bit her bottom lip and looked away, only for him to place a hand under her chin and turn her head towards him again. She sighed before deciding to finally tell him what had been on her mind ever since the moment they had kissed in the cab.

"I guess I have to tell you the truth about something else as well… I've never been with a guy, in any form."

"What's so bad about that?" James asked her.

"It means that…" her voice slowly died down, hardly a whisper, "I never even kissed anyone before you."

James's eyes widened slightly, not quite believing what he had just heard. He shook his head slightly, "You mean that...?"

"Yes, this was my first kiss," Sandy blushed heavily and looked away again, swallowing before continuing, "I'm sorry if it wasn't what you expected."

"It's nothing to be sorry for. We all have to start somewhere, you know?" he brushed a strand of hair out of her face, then he went on, "And I did enjoy it."

The young woman grew even more nervous at that, not sure what to answer. James took that task off her by simply moving closer and lightly touching his lips to hers. Her sudden intake of breath didn't distract him though, he only placed a hand on her cheek and the other on her back to calm her down. She in turn wrapped her arms around his neck, slowly relaxing and sinking further down onto the couch. James supported his weight with his arms, covering her face in kisses before moving back to her lips.

Sandy was shivering slightly and goose bumps formed on her skin. She hesitantly responded to his kisses, though it soon grew more heated as some new unknown feelings started to stir deep within her. Her heartbeat increased and she could feel her pulse in her throat as well as she felt something else pressing against her thigh. Shifting slightly, she tried to reposition herself as not to make too much contact. But then her attention was needed elsewhere as the tip of James' tongue was seeking passage to her own, silently asking permission to dip into her mouth. Sandy reacted in the only way that she could come up with, slowly parting her lips and allowing him to deepen the kiss.

James had a hard time holding back and keeping it slow. His body was telling him to rip her clothes off, but his mind told him to first gain her trust and respect. She would come up to him by herself when it was time. With shaking hands, Sandy pushed him away slightly, just enough to be able to look at him, her vision blurry and her mind dazed.

"Is everything okay?" James asked, worried he was taking things too fast.

"Y- yes, I'm all good," Sandy answered with a shaky voice.

Having grown a bit more confidence, she moved her right hand down from his neck to his shoulder and further down to his chest, feeling his toned body under the shirt. He watched her every move, trying to find out what she would do next. As he shifted slightly and put a bit more weight down on her, Sandy suddenly jerked away, eyes wide and staring at him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he slowly sat back up while muttering the excuse, offering her a hand to help her sit up again too.

She gladly took his hand, then said, "No need to be sorry. I'm just not used to close physical contact of that kind."

She shyly smiled at him, sighing and resting her head against his shoulder. Her tiredness then got the better of her and she softly drifted off to sleep right there due to the events of the first half of the day. James ran his hand through her wavy blonde hair, admiring how the sun cast a golden glow on her. After a while, James drifted off to sleep himself, but waking up again nearly 3 hours later when Sandy started to shift and yawned. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few times as if to make sure this wasn't in her dreams. They both got up from the couch and Sandy walked to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water again, still nervous and not sure she should've told someone she hardly knew about part of her past. But then again he was different to all the males she met before, he was listening to her and had captured her from the first moment she had seen him.

As more time went by, she walked back into the living room, asking James what they would have for dinner as it was nearly time for that now. He said that he would take her out to a restaurant in town that had a long tradition and an interesting touch. Having caught her attention, he refused to tell her more saying she had to see for herself when they were there. So she left for the bathroom to right her clothes and freshen up before they left, renewing her make-up to match her dress.

They drove along in silence, the only sounds coming from the radio in the car. Sandy looked out the window, taking in the beautiful green landscape as the setting sun cast a soft glowing aura onto the hills. When they arrived at Crosby, the sun was almost gone completely. James offered her his arm and walked her towards a fancy-looking building next to a post office. The moment they entered, Sandy's eyes nearly popped out. The walls were plastered with paintings of different styles and sizes and it was exactly how the tour guide she had bought on her first day described it, though it was only a very short paragraph and no photos. In no way did she expect to come here that soon.

She took her camera out her bag and took several pictures to analyse and study for her work before James escorted her to a small table near a big painting of Mary Denton, which she later found out was by George Gower. They ordered their beverages and dishes soon after having scanned through the menu and enjoyed each other's company throughout the evening. After James had paid their bill, they left to take a small stroll around town.

While walking, Sandy slightly started to shiver so James removed his jacket and wrapped it around her, receiving a smile and a sigh in return; no words were needed at that point. He also wrapped an arm around her, pulling her a bit closer to protect her from the cold. They wandered around a little longer before they decided it was time to return to the car. They drove back to his house in silence again and then went for their showers separately. It had been a long and exciting day for Sandy and she fell asleep right after crawling under the sheets. James went down to the living room again and fell down onto the couch; this seemed to become a habit already.


	4. Chapter 4 - Passion Unfolds

A few weeks passed in that manner, James was showing Sandy around the island in his leisure time and she got herself a rental car and a proper map to be able to explore for herself when he was at work. He once even got permission from the Fat Controller to bring her along to work to show her his daily routine. They became good friends with some benefits, though this friendship soon developed into something else. Their feelings for each other grew stronger with each passing day, but neither of them took the next step. Sandy still locked herself in his bedroom for the night and apart from the occasional passionate kisses they didn't share any other intimacies.

One afternoon, Sandy was sitting on the balcony, working on a drawing she had started back home and hadn't touched since. She really thought it needed to be finished and there was no day better than when she had nothing else to do, sun shining and waiting for James to come home from work. He had promised her to take her to Brendam in the evening for a seafood dinner as she came to enjoy that over the years she had been to Italy back in her childhood days. She glanced at her wrist watch before getting up, gathering her sheets of paper and drawing materials, storing them away in a folder and then deciding to go for a shower. James would be back from work soon and she didn't want to leave him waiting.

When she was done and had dried off, she stood in front of the wardrobe part James had removed his clothes from so she could hang hers into it too, trying to decide for something to wear. It was rather warm outside, so she just went with a light blouse and skirt. The moment she walked down to the living room, she heard the key in the lock and James entered the house, sighing.

"Is everything ok?" she asked him worriedly.

"Yes, I'm fine. It's just working on a railway run on steam in this heat isn't the best of jobs. But still better than working on a building site which I did before I was offered this job," he answered.

"Seems I learn something new every day," Sandy replied, sniggering slightly.

She walked up to him, kissing him on the cheek and hugging him, whispering into his ear, "Hrm… you smell nice. Did you shower at work today?"

James burst out laughing, "Ohh you! Yes I did, and thank you."

She knew they had a small shower installed in a the small changing room with lockers near Tidmouth sheds in case work got too dirty and the railway men needed cleaning before they left after their shift. Not a bad idea considering all the coal dust lingering everywhere around the sheds and their "workplace".

They soon went out for dinner and Sandy thought the blue mussels she ordered could actually compete with the ones she used to eat back in Italy. She and James laughed a lot that evening, really enjoying each other's company, and the evening meal developed to a very romantic candle light dinner in the end. The two sat there in silence, looking into each others' eyes, when James slowly reached out across the table to take Sandy's hand in his.

He cleared his throat, slightly nervous, before beginning to speak in a low voice, only meant for her to hear, "So… we now know each other for a bit more than two months, and I have really grown to like you. A lot to be honest. I told myself I never wanted a relationship again after my last break up, too deep was the scar she left on my heart. But that all changed when I first met you at that bar, my mind having been turned upside down that moment I saw you. You looked so miserable I felt sorry and, I don't know what got into me that evening, I just had to help you, no matter the cost. You had my heart the second you looked at me and ever since then, I was wondering if you would ever feel the same. We spent a wonderful time together so far and a question rose to my mind a few weeks ago, but I didn't know if I should dare ask it. So now we're here, and I finally found the courage to ask you… would you like to be in a relationship with me? I mean, a real one?"

Sandy stared at him, unsure of what to answer. She swallowed, trying to get words past her lips, but she couldn't. Her mind was running wild, trying to process what she had just heard and what he had asked her. Should she say yes? What if he turns out to be just like all the other guys when she does?

"I- I really like you too. And, yes, I'd like to. I was already wondering when you'd ask," Sandy finally replied with a low voice, smiling and trying to play cool over her nervousness.

James laughed at that, he was relieved that he finally got this off his chest. He had already been fearing she'd say no after her staying silent for a few minutes, but it all turned out well. After they spent a few minutes just smiling at each other and him kissing the back of her hand, they decided to go back to his house as it was getting late. James paid their bill and then drove them home. All along the way, Sandy was in thought, trying to figure out what this new chapter of her life meant for her and what would probably happen when they arrived at the house.

It kept her mind occupied for the whole trip so she only snapped back to reality when James opened the car's door for her to get out. She shook her head to get a clear thought, then followed him inside. James locked the door behind them while Sandy took off her shoes. She then turned to walk to the living room, but was soon stopped by James.

Wrapping his arms around her from behind, he slowly started to kiss her neck and ear, nibbling it softly. He drew back for short only to turn Sandy around to face him. He softly laid his lips on hers, kissing her slowly yet passionately. Their tongues soon were entangled in a dance with each other while Sandy had one hand in James' hair and the other worked on his shirt, slowly unbuttoning it. He then took her arms one by one and wrapped them around his neck before lifting her off the ground with her legs wrapped around him. He carried her into the living room where he lowered her onto the couch before he carefully laid down beside her, starting to unbutton her blouse. Sandy shivered, this being something new to her and she didn't know what to do.

James noticed her uneasiness and tried to calm her, "Do not think, just relax and feel. Let me do the work."

She nodded and ran a hand down his chest, giving herself to his hands completely. James then began to pull her skirt off of her, running his fingertips along her legs, tickling her skin along the way. He started to place kisses all over her exposed skin which resulted into her getting goose bumps. Soon, Sandy's blouse joined her skirt on the floor and James also started to take his jacket and dress shirt off. He pulled her close and kissed her passionately, trying to make her relax more. Meanwhile, she began to unbutton and unzip his trousers, her hands shaking as she did.

He then moved between her legs, kissing down her neck and cleavage, softly squeezing her breasts through her black lace bra before unhooking it. Sandy covered herself immediately and blushed a deep red, never having been that exposed to anyone before. James lowered his head and started to kiss her until she slowly dropped her hands and slid them around his body. He placed a trail of kisses down her neck again before starting to lick and suck her breasts in turns, always massaging the neglected one with his hands. It sent arrows of heat shooting through her body, her skin taking on a soft pink blush.

Sandy moaned slightly, arching her back and pulling on his hair softly, her reactions coming instinctively. Then she ran her hands over his toned chest. James got up from the couch to drop his trousers to the floor, then laid back down next to her, looking at her lovingly and reassuringly. Slowly, he lowered his head again to kiss her passionately, his tongue asking passage to hers, groaning as Sandy wrapped her legs around his waist. He nuzzled her lovingly and then held himself up on his lower arms.

"Are you sure you really want more?" he whispered.

Sandy nodded, though a bit afraid of what would come next. James carefully moved her black lace panties aside and then kissed her while slowly pushing a finger into her cave, testing if she was ready for this. Sandy moaned into the kiss and arched her back again, showing James how much she liked this. He started to move his finger to relax her as he didn't want to hurt her later on. When he drew his hand back after some time, she winced slightly at the sudden removal. James got to his feet, removing her panties and his own boxers, dropping them to the floor, and then lifting her off the couch, carrying her upstairs into his bedroom and placing her onto the bed. He joined her, gently moving between her legs and running a finger up and down between her folds before pushing it into her again to prepare her for what was to come.

After a few minutes, she was writhing underneath him, hardly able to control her movements, and moaning. Her arousal grew even more when he slowly removed his hand and she felt the tip of his manhood at her entrance. He started to push it in until the head had disappeared and he knew this wasn't going to feel good for her now. James lowered his lips to hers and kissed her while pushing himself in completely. Sandy tensed immediately, shutting her eyes tightly and biting down on James' bottom lip hard, drawing blood.

"I'm sorry, darling! I'm so sorry!" was all he could get out between his teeth before kissing her again to make her relax.

Her face was still lined with pain when he started moving slowly, but he tried to make it as comfortable as possible by licking and sucking her breasts again. Soon, both were panting heavily and Sandy got somewhat used to it too. She tilted her hips upwards and drew her nails over James' back and shoulders, moaning his name out loud and begging him not to stop. Every time he pushed in deeper than before, making Sandy throw her head back in pleasure with her eyes closed.

"My god... I can't take it much longer... ah..." she managed to pant just seconds before she arched her back even more and screamed his name in ecstasy.

James let out a low groan, feeling her walls pulsate around him. He slowed his movements in order to make her come down from her heights again. Sandy was nearly crying at the intense pleasure that ripped through her, clawing at the bedsheets, nearly tearing them apart. It took her a few minutes to be able to think straight again; this felt like someone had put her on drugs and now she wanted more. She shifted slightly, wrapping her legs around James' waist and pulling him down to kiss him. He then started moving again, long and slow thrusts, trying to feel as much of her as possible and giving her more of the sparkly sensation that was already building inside her again.

After several hours of their passionate game, they both lay on the bed, exhausted but happy. James held Sandy in a close embrace, placing a kiss on her forehead and enjoying the closeness. Sandy on the other hand was already nearly drifting off to sleep in his arms, mumbling something James couldn't understand, but smiling at him contently.


End file.
